Chair



J. M. DORTON June 6, 1961 CHAIR Filed Dec. l, 1958 INVENTOR. Joh/7 M o/'o/z BY M United States Patent O 2,987,112 CHAIR John M. Dorton, Oak and Nettleton Sts., Bonner Springs', Kans. Filed Dec. 1, 1958, Ser. No. 777,255 2 Claims. (Cl. 155-162) Another important object is the provision of -a chair of the character described, wherein the back cushion is so related to the seat'cushion that the former moves up and down with the latter as Vthe latter is compressed by the weight of the occupant. This is particularly important in automotive seating, since relative movement between the seat and back cushions due to jostling and bouncing during travel, in seats wherein the seat and back cushions are supported independently, results in friction against the riders back and exure of his spine, with resultant discomfort `and fatigue. f

Still another object is the provision of a chair of the character described which is well adapted for'use in virtually all types-of furniture, automotive and transportation seating. Y Y K A Other objects are simplicity and economy of construction, efficiency and dependabilityy of operation, and ease and convenience of manipulation'.

With these objects in view, as well as other objects" which i will appear in the course of the specilcation,"reference will be had to the drawing, whereinil 'I FIG. 1 is a side elevational view ofa chair embodying the present invention, j

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line lI-II of FIG. l, i5

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, foreshontened fragmentary sectional view taken on line III- III of FIG. l,

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on line IV-IV of FIG. 3, and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on `line V-V of FIG. 4.

Like reference numerals apply to similar parts throughout the several views, and the numeral 2 applies generally to the seat frame of the chair, said seat frame including a pair of tubular members 4 extending from front to rear respectively at opposite sides of the chair, a front leg 6 `and a rear leg 8 axed respectively to the forward and rearward ends of each member 4 and depending therefrom, and a seat cushion supporting platform 10 extending between and rigidly aixed to members 4 and forming a portion of the seat frame. Aiiixed to platform 10 is a seat cushion 12 which is resiliently compressible. The specific internal construction of said cushion is not pertinent to the present invention. Tubular members 4 are open at their rearward ends.

A back frame indicated generally by the numeral 14 includes a pair of tubular slides 16 inserted slidably into the rearward 'end portions of members 4 and extending rearwardly therefrom. Said slides are movable forwardly and rearwardly in members 4, and each slide is xable at any desired position by means of a set screw 18 threaded in the associated member 4.

A tubular upright 20 is welded or otherwise xed adjacent its lower end to the rearward end of each slide 16,

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and extends upwardly approximately to the level of the upper surface of seat cushion. Pivoted to the upper end of each of said uprights, as by pivot pin y22, is a segmentally shaped plate 24 disposed concentrically with pivot pin 22. Pivot pins 22 are coaxial, and plates 24 lie in parallel planes, each being movable through a slot 26 formed longitudinally in the associated upright 20. Each of plates 24 has a series of -angularly spaced apart notches 28 formed in the arcuate edge thereof. A latch pin 30 is disposed axially within the lower portion of each of uprights 20, and is provided -at its upper end with a tooth 32 adapted to engage selectively in any of notches 28 of the associated plate 24. Said latch pin is urged upwardly to engage said plate by a coil spring 34 disposed therebeneath in upright 20 and based on a plug 36 threaded in the lower end of said upright.

A pin 38 is threaded into each of latch pins 30, and projects transversely therefrom through a slot 40 formed longitudinally in the associated upright 20. A tubular cross bar 42 extends horizontally and transversely between slides 16, and is welded or otherwise ixed at the juncture between slide 16 and upright 20, at each side of the chair. A shaft 44 extends axially through said cross bar, and may be oscillated about its iaxis. At the left side of the chair, a crank 46 is affixed to one end of shaft 44 by nut 48, land pivotally connected to the pin 3x8 at that side of the chair by nut 50. |At the right side of the chair, a crank 52 is aixed to ,the opposite end of shaft '44 by nut 54, and pivoted to pin 38 at that side of the chair by nut 56. Crank 52 is provided with a forward extention terminating in a finger ring 5-8.

f Welded or otherwise lixed to each segmental plate 24, .so -as `to be pivotal therewith relative to upright 20 about pivot 22, is e. tubular member 60 which normally projects upwardly from pivot 22. Associated with each of mem- `bers 60 is an upward extension 62, the lower end portion 63 thereof being of reduced diameter, being engaged slidably in member 60 and fxable therein by means of a set screw 64. The upper end portions of extensions 62 4are curved rearwardly, and are rigidly connected together by a horizontal cross bar 66. A back cushion 68 which is thin and resilient as shown is connected along its lower ,edge tothe upper rearward edge of seat cushion 12 by a suitable hinge 70. The upper end portion of said back cushion is curved rearwardly and downwardly, and is attached to cross bar 66 by any suitable means such as rivets 72. The specic internal construction of the back cushion is not pertinent to the present invention, and may consist of any suitable arrangement of spring wires, meshes or strips, overlaid by layers of padding and covering. It will be understood that whenever seat cushion 12 is compressed by the weight of a person sitting thereon, the

lower edge of the back cushion will also be pulled downwardly, the back cushion being rendered vertically movable by the resiliently yieldable curved portion thereof.

The operation of the chair is believed to be reasonably apparent from the foregoing description of its construction. When the occupant of the chair desires to Vary the angle of reclining of back cushion 68, he pulls upwardly on linger ring `58, which operates through shaft 44 and cranks 46 and 52 to slide latch pins 30 downwardly in uprights 30 against the pressure of springs 34, thereby releasing latch teeth 32 from notches 28 of latch plates 2:4. This permits members 60 and extensions 612 to be pivoted forwardly or rearwardly about pivots 22, which of course also pivots back cushion 68 about hinge 70. When said back cushion is at the desired angle, the occupant releases ring 58, whereupon springs 34 urge latch pins 30 upwardly to engage teeth 32 thereof in whatever notches 28 of the latch plates then register with said teeth. In this manner, the back cushion may be lowered to substantially a horizontal position, so that the seat and back cushions may mamie.

serve as a full reclining couch if desired. In this usage, the chair legs 6 and 8 should be secured to the floor so as to maintain vthe chair upright against the overbalanced load. Y v

The adjustment of the reclining angle, provided 4, by pivots 22 is of course by steps only, sincenotchesl are disposed at spaced apart intervals. Fine adjustments of the reclining angle, whendesired, may be obtained by loosening set screws 18V and moving. slides 1,6. forwardly or rearwardly in seat frame members 4. Since this moves the entire back frame 14 forwardly or rearwardly, including cross bar 66 to which the back cushion is aixed, the angle of the back cushion is adjusted thereby.

Since the pivots 22 and hinge 70 areA oiset, adjustment of the back by tilting the back frame on pivots 22 causes the upper end of the back cushion, at cross bar 66, to be moved toward or from hinge 22 and thereby changes the tension in which said back cushions is held between its two points of attachment. If the back is tilted forwardly about pivots 22, bar 6,6 moves closer to hinge 70, and the tension of the back cushion yis lessened. If the back is tilted rearwardly, bar 66.y moves. farther away from hinge 70 and the tension of the back cushion is increased. The tension of the back cushion determines its feel or sensation of softness or depth, and is therefore quite an important feature in the comfort of the chair. The tension of the back cushionv may beadjusted by loosening set screws 64 and raising or lowering extensions 62 with respect to members 60, atrany setting of pivots 22. Moreover, adjustment of the back cushion tension by this means may also alter the reclining angle of the back, as the radius of the curved portion of the back ispincreased or decreased by changesoftension j therein. This change of angle may be compensatedby loosening set screws 18 and adjusting slides 1,6. This,'for anyA setting of pivots V22, the precise angleof reclinerand degree of tension of therback cushion .desired may b e provided by properly relating the adjustments permitted by set screws 18 and 64.

While l have shownV and' described aspeciticembodiment of myinvention, it will be readily apparent that many minor modiiications of structure and operation could be made without departing from the spiritlof the invention as dened by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect byLetters Patent is:

1` A chair comprising, a seat frame, a backframe carried by said seat frame and extending upwardly from the rearward portion thereof, a resiliently compressible seat cushion carried by said seat frame, and a resilient back cushion hinged along its lower edge to the upper rear edge of said seat cushionand extending upwardly therefrom, the upper edge portion of said back cushion being Curved-.rearwardly anddewnnardlr andtbeins Secured to the upper end2 of said back frame, said back frame consisting of upper 'and lower-sections pivotally joined together onan ax-sparallelto the hinged connec tion of said back cushion to said seat cushion, whereby the upper portion ofsaid back frame mayvbe tilted forwardly or rearwardly to adjust the angle of 'inclination of said'back cushion, andlatchmeans operable to secure said upperv back frame section ,selectively at any of a series of angles of inclination,jthe lowerV section of said back frame being adjustably movable forwardly and rearwardly withrespect to saidpseat frame, andthe upper section of said back frame. being adjustably extendible toyvarjy the-distancebetweenfthe npperfend thereof and the axis of its pivotalconneetionto thelower hack framesection..

2. The structure as recitedinclaim 1 wherein said latch means comprises a `segmental latch ,plate fixed to the upper section of. said back frame. concentrically with the pivotal connection between .said upperand lower sections, and having aAseries of notches formed :in thearcuate edge thereof, alatch pinV carriedby thelower-seetion of said backframe for movement toward and lfr 'orrrengagement with any one of said latch plate notcheslresilient means urging said latch pin toward its notch-engaging position, andv manually operable means for moving said latch, pin awayA fromv its: notch-engaging. position..

154,498 sweden f n Mar. 15, 

